White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 34 Eagle's Lament
Ning Jue replied, "Even if you are not free to serve me, you will receive my immortal techniques and be taught by me. Don't you know: 'If I hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening'?"

"Go to hell with your mother's birth of the Dao of Morning Enlightenment!" The Azure God suddenly flew into a rage, spreading his wings and countless eagle feathers shot out like sharp swords, rushing towards the twenty-four Demon-Sealing Pillars.

Instantly, ripples spread across the magic array, the magic pillars were cut by the sword feathers, and the spiritual light on them flickered erratically, causing the great array to shake.

Ning Jue was quite startled by this scene. He quickly took out a blue silk thread from his waist, made a series of hand seals, and chanted an incantation:

"At midnight, shedding the old body of dust, the heart's wings float anew. Heavenly principles weave the threads of yin and yang, only through self-binding can one know the true nature of all things! Bind!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the green silk in his hand flicked and transformed into hundreds of green light ropes, which coiled around the Azure God like snakes and pythons. Moreover, after the green silk wrapped around him, it pierced into his flesh in an even more terrifying way, causing the Azure God to let out a miserable howl of pain.

Upon seeing this scene, the black crow couldn't help but feel terrified and immediately let out a loud cry.

"Ah~"

The cawing of crows sounded like silver needles piercing his ears. Caught off guard, Ning Jue's spells suddenly went awry in pain. Cang struggled desperately, ignoring the blood streaming out of the blue threads, his body covered with hundreds of small, bleeding holes.

Cang Luo reached the mountaintop, transformed into human form, and collapsed to the ground in a disheveled state, his body covered in blood and wounds. Yet, he exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you so much, Brother Wuxiang, for your help!"

Wuxiang, who was outside the village, could only step into the village. The black crow, being a spirit, could not bear to see its fellow birds in such a miserable state, so it stepped in to help.

Xuan Ya and he were companions who shared life and death, so since Xuan Ya had done it, he had no objections.

A chilling aura emanated from all directions, and a thick fog enveloped the entire Cangyun Village. The villagers felt a chill run through their bodies and were filled with fear, so they scattered and fled.

The remaining dozen or so mandrills scattered in all directions, leaving behind only a pile of corpses.

The giant ape seemed to sense something and searched for something in the mist. Ning Jue calmed his mind and leaped onto the giant ape's head, frowning as he said, "What kind of evil demon are you? I am Ning Jue, a true disciple of Kongtong Cave."

"Woo~"

A cold wind, carrying thick fog, swept in from all directions, turning the once clear and bright sky into darkness in the blink of an eye.

"What a grand display!"

Ning became more cautious; this demon was probably quite powerful!

In the mist, Bai Wuxiang cautiously observed his opponent. This was also his first time fighting a real demon hunter, and the name Kongtong Cave was clearly not that of a minor sect.

As he pondered, he spoke in a series of overlapping, sinister tones:

"Yunze Mountain has been secluded from the world for a long time. Why do you, a demon hunter, intrude into the mountain and the stronghold without reason?"

The piercing, malevolent voice of Bai Wuxiang echoed throughout the vast mountain stronghold, making Ning Jue's face even more gloomy. It seemed that this evil spirit was not an ordinary mountain monster, but had a powerful backer.

He could only bite the bullet and reply, "The prohibitions of Yunze Mountain have been in place for over five hundred years. Times have changed, and the world has changed. This prohibition is no longer applicable to those below the Yuanzhen level."

Upon hearing this, Bai Wuxiang suddenly realized that Yunze Mountain truly had some past events that made it difficult for human cultivators and demon hunters to enter.

However, it seems that this ban is not very effective now.

Seeing no sound from within the mist, Ning Jue couldn't help but ask, "Are you from the Three Mountains and Six Caves? May I ask which sect's demon king you belong to?"

Bai Wuxiang sneered, "There's no need to test your background. If you don't leave soon, I'm afraid there will be many more wronged souls in the mountains!"

Upon hearing this, Cang Shen, who was suppressing his injuries, hurriedly said with hatred, "Brother Wuxiang, this person destroyed my foundation and ruined my cultivation. This hatred must not be allowed to leave!"

"Hahaha, you wild demon, you've been struck by my Life-Shattering Heart-Piercing Silk, you're already a dying demon, yet you still dare to speak so arrogantly!"

Ning Jue laughed wildly, took out a Xuanhuang talisman from his sleeve, and chanted: "Ten thousand mountains and peaks confine the body, eight thousand Xuan locks seal the spirit embryo!"

Give me the town!

As soon as he finished speaking, countless golden runes flew out of the talisman from the sky, forming thousands upon thousands of golden chains that sealed off the four directions.

Bai Wuxiang, hiding in the mist, was also startled by this technique. He pointed his finger and countless ghostly figures scattered throughout the village, while he concealed his own figure among them.

But these golden magic chains were incredibly powerful; any ghostly figures they touched vanished upon contact with them. Then, as if possessing a spirit, the golden chains chased after him towards his hiding place.

Bai Wuxiang was slightly startled. He took the Jade Void Golden Bell hanging from his waist and gently shook it with his divine power.

"Ding ~"

As the bell rang, a pale white jade light spread out and met the golden chains, causing both to disintegrate.

Meanwhile, the nearby demons and monsters all clutched their heads and howled in agony, the clear and melodious bell sound entering their heads like a curse, making them dizzy and disoriented.

"A demon-suppressing artifact!" Ning Jue exclaimed in surprise. "How could a demon like you possess a demon-suppressing artifact? Could this be... the Jade Void Golden Bell?"

Bai Wuxiang emerged from the mist, surprised, and asked, "You recognize this treasure?"

"Hmph, what a monster!"

The You family of Tongshan is one of the eight great families of demon hunters. Their teachings are inherited from the immortal Kunlun Mountain. How could the Jade Void Golden Bell fall into the hands of a demon like you!
"Today I will surely take your demon spirit to appease the souls of the You family!" Ning Jue immediately bit his fingertip, and the blood fell into the talisman. The golden divine lock trembled and once again swept over the sky, trying to imprison Bai Wuxiang.

Bai Wuxiang trembled involuntarily upon seeing the talisman. If he were not exceptionally intelligent, he would have been overwhelmed by its power.

Such a precious talisman could not have been made by a young man with limited cultivation; it was most likely a protective treasure bestowed upon him by his seniors in his lineage.

Faced with this demon-suppressing talisman, ordinary demonic energy and evil spells would dissipate upon contact. Bai Wuxiang no longer expended his demonic power, but instead poured his divine faith into the Jade Void Golden Bell, using a Xuanmen magical artifact against a Xuanmen treasure talisman.

Although this talisman appears to be incredibly powerful, the sound waves from the golden bell only put it at a disadvantage when they collided with the golden rope, unlike demonic arts which would collapse instantly.

Ning Jue frowned and questioned, "You monster, how could you activate the Jade Void Golden Bell?"

Bai Wuxiang sensed the terrifying golden aura surrounding him, which was extremely terrifying to demons. He remained calm and silent, only urging the golden bell to defend himself.

The human demon hunters have a tradition spanning hundreds or even thousands of years. Every spell and incantation they use is a technique for suppressing and killing demons, accumulated from the slaying of countless evil spirits.

Even a demon who has cultivated for decades might not be a match for a novice demon hunter. This is especially true for demon hunters who cultivate by killing demons; the relationship between them is that of hunter and prey, and there is no question of an evenly matched opponent.

This is also why Bai Wuxiang has always been wary of You Junzi. Even though he seems to be able to easily kill mortals, if he is not careful when facing demon hunters, his hundred years of cultivation will be wasted.

As time passed, the light on the Xuanhuang Treasure Talisman gradually dimmed, and Ning Jue, who was above the giant ape, became anxious. If this talisman could not subdue the opponent, his other methods would probably not work either.

Meanwhile, the Cang Shen, who was sitting cross-legged on the mountaintop, focused on suppressing his injuries, began to feel a surge of killing intent. His scarlet eyes were fixed on the young Taoist. His demonic power, which he had painstakingly cultivated for decades, and the foundation of his Dao in this lifetime, had all been destroyed because of this human child. How could he not hate him?

As darkness fell, Bai Wuxiang, who was trapped inside the abbot's quarters by heavy golden chains, unconsciously curled up a smile at the corner of his mouth.

He looked up, his long hair falling across his eyes, as the last rays of sunlight disappeared into the shadows of the mountains.

Yin and Yang reversed in the world, Yin rose and Yang fell, and demons emerged from their lair. Bai Wuxiang shook the Jade Void Golden Bell, breaking the dim golden magic lock. He stared straight at Ning Jue and chuckled softly:
“Man, since you cannot defeat me by day, your death is at night.”

"You fiend, what are you so arrogant about!" Ning Jue put away the dim talisman, took out the Demon-Sealing Pillar again, and sneered, "My Kongtong Cave has been subduing demons for seven hundred years, what kind of demons haven't we seen?"

"In the daytime, you may call me a demon, an evil spirit."

Bai Wuxiang also put away the Jade Void Golden Bell, smiled and raised his right index finger, and a black crow landed on his fingertip from the air. "But when night falls, I have another name. The people in the mountains call me the God of No Form."

"Ah~"

The black crow suddenly cried out, and shadowy figures from all directions, like ghosts, twisted and turned wildly in the darkness, baring their fangs and claws as they surrounded Ning Jue.

A series of eerie laughs, cries, screams, and chaotic ghostly sounds suddenly erupted, plunging the world into a crimson hue.

Bai Wuxiang's figure vanished without a trace in an instant. Like a god of the night, he looked down upon the man and ape in the village, wandering through countless illusions and dreamscapes.

He had already unleashed the powerful technique [Heart-Drawing Tribulation] within the Vengeful Spirit Pearl. At this moment, the entire Cangyun Village was plunged into an illusionary world. The multiple illusionary realms created by the Vengeful Spirit Pearl's powerful technique and his own demonic power mobilizing the Yin energy of the earth tightly trapped Ning Jue.

The giant ape's eyes turned blood red. The scene of Ning Jue killing its entire clan had appeared in its mind. Countless illusions appeared in the mind of this not-so-intelligent ape demon, driving it into madness. It roared wildly and even pounced on Ning Jue.

Ning Jue's vision blurred with double images. He struggled to calm his mind, uphold his inner peace, and activated the God-Suppressing Spell to try and control the ape demon.

But the ape demon, driven mad, has lost its reason and become a monster that only knows how to kill!
"Boom~"

The giant ape's fists pounded towards Ning Jue, shaking the mountains and earth. Ning Jue forcefully dodged several times, but seeing no way to escape, he had no choice but to harden his heart and kill. He changed his incantation, pointed his hand at the giant ape, and shouted:

"The soul dissolves and the body returns! The scattered spirit is reborn!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the giant ape let out a long howl, which startled the birds and sent them flying in panic, and terrified all the beasts in the mountains.

But the next moment, the giant ape crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust, and its breath vanished. In just a few breaths, its body shrank to the size of a normal wild monkey.

Bai Wuxiang walks through the illusion, taking on countless identities, sometimes observing coldly, sometimes laughing incessantly, sometimes exuding murderous intent. In Ning Jue's eyes, it is as if all his closest and dearest loved ones have abandoned him and hate him to the bone, and only death can appease them.

Countless illusions gradually coalesced into a single thought, forming in Ning Jue's mind.

That is, die!
Ning Jue's pupils gradually dilated. He raised a demon-sealing pillar in his hand, slowly opened his mouth, and swallowed it.

This demon-sealing pillar is three feet long. If he were to actually swallow it, his internal organs would surely be ruptured and he would die!

But at that moment, a golden seal on his chest suddenly shone with a dazzling golden light, from which emerged the face of an old man with a white beard. The old man simply blew a breath, which enveloped Ning Jue, causing him to faint.

Then he slowly smiled and said, "I don't know which expert my disciple has offended, but since you were able to force this life-protecting seal to be unsealed, you must be an expert in the Yuanzhen realm."

"I beg you, for the sake of my Kongtong lineage, spare my disciple's life."

Bai Wuxiang stared coldly at the white-bearded old man before him, and laughed in a ghostly voice, "What if I refuse?"

"Then you should wait for my Kongtong Dharma Seal to arrive from Kongtong and land here. Within a hundred miles, all living beings will suffer!" the old man said with a smile.

"Oh? What a fine righteous sect indeed." Bai Wuxiang sneered.

"Hehe, if you're willing to spare my disciple, my Kongtong lineage will give you some leeway when we meet again. It's better to make enemies than to resolve them; you should think twice before cultivating!"

After saying that, the old man transformed into a golden light, picked up Ning Jue from the ground, and disappeared into the light, leaving Yunze Mountain.

Seeing this, Bai Wuxiang couldn't help but exclaim, "What a cunning old fox!"

The other party is most likely a highly accomplished cultivator, otherwise they wouldn't dare to speak so arrogantly and descend from thousands of miles away using supernatural powers. Bai Wuxiang would not provoke such a powerful person.

He dispelled the illusion and the strange images, and came to the mountaintop, to the side of the faintly aura-wielding Azure God.

Bai Wuxiang glanced at it once and then fell silent.

He's probably not going to make it.

The once high and mighty god now leans helplessly against the stone wall, unable to even maintain his human form, and gradually transforms into a featherless giant eagle.

Cang managed to say with difficulty, "Thank you... thank you for your help, Brother Wuxiang!"

Bai Wuxiang shook his head and said, "I couldn't save you."

"Am I going to die?" Cang murmured. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die."

“But I can’t save you.” Bai Wuxiang said bluntly, “I really know very little about the methods of demon hunters. I don’t know how to remove your heart wound and the poison on it.”

"Ah~"

The black crow flapped its wings and landed beside Cang.

Bai Wuxiang sighed, "Look, my crow knows death. It came to see you, which proves that you are really going to die."

"I...I..." Cang closed his eyes in pain, "It would be better if I didn't develop any intelligence, so that I wouldn't know the fear of life and death."

I have been soaring through these mountains for over ninety years, from green hills to withered forests, from springtime to wintertime. I have endured countless trials and tribulations to achieve my current level of attainment.

It is hateful that the human race destroyed everything I had in this life and severed my cultivation. I know that Brother Wuxiang kept me here only to avoid facing Tiger King's Stronghold.

I don't hate you. We beasts and spirits, after all, are only concerned with survival and reproduction. It's worthwhile that these mountains have remembered me, a mere eagle, for decades.

Bai Wuxiang did not respond, but listened quietly. Even though the spirits and monsters in the mountains and fields had gained intelligence, they did not engage in the deceit and treachery that humans did. Instead, they relied solely on their strength and rarely showed any hypocrisy.

"Brother Wuxiang, will you remember me?" Cang suddenly asked.

“I will remember that there is a mountain stronghold in Yunze Mountain called Cangyun Village. The villagers worship a deity called Cang.” Bai Wuxiang lowered his head and looked at him calmly.

Cang smiled. "It's good that someone remembers. At least I left something behind in this world."

After he finished speaking, he suddenly flapped his wings and took flight, soaring into the sky and roaring through the clouds.

On this day, the loud cry of an eagle echoed throughout the Yunze Mountains.

After that, the sound of eagles never rang out again in the mountains.

　The incantation in the chapter comes from a Douyin blogger: Zhuochen.

　　There are many mysterious things inside; those who are interested can learn more about them.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)